At least seven of nine musical acts booked for a concert series organised by the Trump administration to mark the US's 250th anniversary have withdrawn within 48 hours of the lineup's announcement. The series, called Freedom 250, was due to take place on Washington DC's National Mall this summer.
Bret Michaels, frontman of Poison, became the latest to pull out on Friday, citing a deteriorating atmosphere and threats. 'What was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive,' he said in a statement, adding that his decision was 'not about politics'. Morris Day, Young MC, the Commodores, C+C Music Factory, Martina McBride and Milli Vanilli have also withdrawn.
Several artists said they were misled about the event's political nature. Young MC stated: 'The artists were never told about any political involvement.' Martina McBride said she was assured it was nonpartisan but 'that turned out to be misleading'. C+C Music Factory's Freedom Williams expressed anger at being booked without knowledge of Trump's involvement, calling the series '250 years of straight murder'.
Milli Vanilli singer Jodie Rocco told the Associated Press that no one had asked her or her sister to perform, and they were 'shocked' to see their name on the poster. Vanilla Ice remains the only confirmed performer, having said in an Instagram video that he was 'super honoured' to participate.
